


The Sea & The Storm

by Skullszeyes



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Genre: Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arguing, Best Friends, Boys Kissing, Declarations Of Love, Drugs, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Jealousy, M/M, Male Slash, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Monsters, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Third Person Limited, Pirates, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sailing, Sarcasm, Slow To Update, Spirits, Swearing, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-27 22:27:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20767934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullszeyes/pseuds/Skullszeyes
Summary: Link washes up on an island where he meets the people who saved him, but he's a lot more interested in finding his captain, and is afraid that he must've died during the storm that separated them. However, his captain, Linebeck, is also looking for him, and will need his help when he stumbles upon a dormant creature that he accidentally awakens.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yo. I wanted to write another LOZ fic, even though my other is about 70k words in. LOL. This story will probably not be that long since I'd rather not end up writing that much. Maybe this will be 40k long, maybe shorter. Idk. Linebeck is one of my favorite characters. :D
> 
> Oh, btw, this story will not have any triforce, Zelda, or Ganon stuff in it. Maybe a reference, I don't know. I want to write a fic where Link doesn't live that life. LOL. :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciative.

He dreamed of skies full of open blue, full of silver clouds, and the white streaks of lightning and rumbling thunder pulsing in his veins, sending his heart thudding within his ribcage. A panic, one he was too unsteady to contemplate, his entire body was cold and awashed with salt. 

He blinked between those stormy skies, blessed clear blue, and then he was no longer filled with numbing aches throughout his body, not the scream of a familiar sound, but a quiet breeze and whispering that grew as a shadow cast itself over his eyelids. 

“Are you okay, boy?”

“What?” he murmured, closing his eyes, sleep dragging him under the waves. 

“Lift him, Calla.”

“I am, father,” a young woman spoke, picking up his limp arm, while another gripped his other, “hurry, he’s falling unconscious again.”

Darkness swept him under and he found a man standing before him upon a ship. He held the rope from one of the sails, calling his name in a panic.

He couldn’t reach, the ship rocked back and forth, and he fell to the side while barrels almost toppled onto him before falling off the edge of the ship, and into the torrential waters. He shuddered, scrambling to his feet to find his way to his captain, but another wave shoved hard against the side, and he fell back, this time, he fell off the ship. 

He woke with a start, almost gasping as if he were still in those ice cold waters. He glanced around and found himself inside a room. A window was beside the bed with a curtain pulled and tied, letting in warm light upon a small round table, and across the room was a dresser with portraits of a young girl and a woman. 

He looked down at the soft warm blankets covering his body, and frowned when he realized he wasn’t wearing his clothes. His long blue coat, the vest with the bronze buttons, the white shirt beneath it, the pants and boots. He had slept in most of them, mostly sweat in them during their time trying to act dignified when they weren’t. And now he had no idea where they were, and he felt a lot more lost than he had when he woke up. 

A knock at the door startled him before the doorknob turned, and it was pushed open by a brown haired girl with two braids hanging off her shoulders, she wore a pink dress, and held a food tray with a bowl and a cup sitting on top.

She blinked her green eyes at him, and beamed, “You’re awake.” She turned her head and called, “Father, he’s awake!” She walked over to him with a friendly smile, and placed the food tray down on the table beside him. “I brought you soup and water. I’m sure you’re hungry, you were out for some time.”

He stared at her, confused by her presence. “Where are my clothes?”

Her cheeks reddened, and she glanced to the side, “I’m sorry. You were completely soaked, and the fabric was ripped. I cleaned them once my father took them off of you, and changed you into a pair of shorts. They’re hanging on the clothes line right now. I’ll be able to sow them correctly once they’re dry, if you don’t mind patches.”

He shook his head, his mind empty. “No, that’s fine. Where am I?”

Before the girl could answer, a man with curly brown hair stepped inside, he shared the young girl’s green eyes, and his face was red from exertion, a bit of sweat was trailing down one part of his face. “Ah, young man, you’re finally awake.”

The girl smiled, “This is my father, Mora,” she gestured at her father who was wiping away the sweat from his face, “and I’m Calla. You’re on Iris Island. We found you on Oca Beach a few days ago. You were delirious and unresponsive. I’m glad you’re okay.”

He nodded slowly. “Iris Island…”

Calla frowned. “What is your name?”

Her father, Mora, chuckled, “We’ve been calling you Linebeck for the last few days, unsure if that was your name, young man.”

He sharply looked up, eyes widening. “Linebeck?” 

Calla tilted her head, “Yes. You kept saying that name in your sleep. We weren’t sure if it was your name.”

“No one else was with me?” he asked, ignoring what she was saying as he tried to remember what had happened to him. “No one was with me when you found me?”

Mora shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you were the only one on that beach.”

He tried to breathe slowly, but his chest ached with each inhale and exhale. “No one was with me. No one was with me. No one was with me?”

“Hey,” Calla sat down beside him on the bed, “hey, you’re okay, alright, you’re okay. Deep breathes” She looked to her father. “Can you bring the healer here, father.”

Mora nodded, giving an uncertain look. “Of course.” He turned and headed out of the room. 

He closed his eyes, and all he could remember was falling from the ship during the storm, hearing his name become nothing under those cold unrelenting waters. He was pulled away from the ship, from his captain, and darkness swallowed him up. 

“My name isn’t Linebeck,” he whispered once the healer had come to see him.

“Do you remember it?” the healer, Maev, asked. She had short brown hair and golden brown eyes. Her skin was covered in a long white and beige coat, and a dress underneath that. Her hands were soft and her voice calm. She asked Calla and Mora to leave the room, and since then, he had calmed down from his attack. 

He nodded slowly. “Link, my name is Link.” 

“Who is Linebeck?” the healer asked, placing a soft hand against his forehead. “Do you remember who that is?”

Link nodded, weary since he had awakened, since the confusion wrapped tightly around his composure, and all he could think of was the sea and the storm. “Linebeck is my captain.”

Maev smiled, “Captain?” 

“Yes, my captain. A good friend...and he could be dead.”

“Don’t think so negatively, Link, even in your state, your mind will heal more fluidly without it.”

Link glared, “What do you want me to do? Pretend he isn’t?”

“He’s a sea captain, am I wrong?” Maev asked, as calming as ever, not in the least phased by his words. “Then he knows the dangers of the sea.”

Link scoffed, but he was already too exhausted to feel angry. “He’s an idiot, a good friend, a captain, but an idiot.”

“If you washed up here, Link, I’m sure your friend has also done the same.”

Link laid back against the soft pillows and closed his eyes. A pounding headache appeared around his head, and a heavy weight settled in his chest. “No. Linebeck is an idiot, if he was here, he would’ve found me by now.”

* * *

**Four Days Ago**

“I think these dice are rigged.” He scratched at the numbers and scowled before dropping them on the table. “Let’s see, if I lose this, I lose everything.” 

The dice rolled and rolled upon the half broken table and when they stopped on empty sides, he scowled again, slamming his hand on the table before they rolled on lucky numbers, beaming a confident sly smile. “See fellas, can’t beat me at this game.” 

He grabbed the coins he found within the pockets of the skeletons sitting against a cave mouth, and dropped them within a bag he salvaged from the wreckage. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder.

“Now that’s finished,” he said, grinning at the poor fools, one was missing a jaw, “I have to find where my _ right hand _ is, I’m sure he’s somewhere around here on this damned island.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link is 18-19 years old. Linebeck is about 22-23. There is a platonic romance in there cause I wasn't sure about writing them anymore than that, but who knows, it might change. :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciated. :)


	2. Chu-Chu & Mushrooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is grieving the loss of his captain, and found some distractions.

Link spent a few days with Calla and her father, Mora, while he recovered from the shipwreck. He slept a for a day or two before Calla led him outside and they sat in the shade on a blanket. She had packed food for them while they ate, and to Link’s amusement, Calla was curious about him.

“Where did you come from?” she asked, picking up a sandwich.

“All over,” he said, waving his hand across the sky and along the shore of the wide ocean. “I’ve been practically everywhere, but I grew up in Hyrule as a kid before meeting Linebeck.” He barely recalled much when he was a kid. Mostly interested in some things here and there, his knees were somewhat bleeding from the times he fell when he played with some village kids. Or his hands were rubbed raw when he tugged on a rope. He had several scars here and there upon his body during those early days, the much larger ones are during his time traveling with Linebeck.

“How did you meet Linebeck?” she asked, her eyes glittering with curiosity.

“I was working on a farm before I met Linebeck,” Link told her, then he munched on his sandwich, washing it down with some sweet juice that came from the fruits of the island. “He was looking for crew members, and said he could pay me a lot more than the farm.”

“Did he?”

“Let’s just say the farm was warmer than Linebeck’s ship,” Link said. “He used to have a bigger crew until one by one they started to leave when the captain couldn’t pay them. I’m surprised I stayed as long as I did.” 

There were secrets he didn’t want to tell Calla. One of them was that they weren’t the usual type of sailors, and most considered them pirates. The crew members didn’t just get up and leave one day, they died during their fights with other pirates on the open sea. Link was mostly surprised he survived, and a lot more that Linebeck managed to keep breathing, at least until recently. Their ship could fly in the air, and they’d rather not hang out during a storm, but Linebeck didn’t catch the error in one of the wings, and the ship was hanging on a thread. It snapped when they hit the water.

He knew a few hours spending time with Calla wouldn’t help him in his grieving process. It was too much. He cared a lot for Linebeck, fought beside the man for years, and now Linebeck, one of the greatest and foolish men he ever met dies. Maybe it’s what he wanted, Linebeck had gone on about dying with his ship, and that’s exactly what happened. He needed to create a tribute to the man once he gets himself together.

After his lunch with Calla, Link had quickly sourced in information about a secret ingredient one of the store owners had been keeping from a few of his customers. Only his known friends knew of it, but Link was no friend, and he was still grieving, he needed something to help him.

He gave the owner some money, then paid for his friend, and when he found himself in the back of the shop, the man was a little shifty when looking at Link.

“You ain’t opening your mouth to anyone, right?” the man named Roan asked. 

“I don’t know anyone to tell,” Link said, and he was being truthful, he may spend his time with Calla and Mora, but it doesn’t mean he knows them enough to keep secrets, and some how have obligations to them.

The man gave him the concoction in two separate jars that had a jelly with CHU-CHU. 

“What is that?” he asked, indicating the blob creature on the sticker.

“You don’t want to know,” Roan said, “just keep those out of anyone’s sight, and if they ask, just say you like the taste of chu-chu’s.” He grinned as he pushed Link out of his shop.

Link found a place where he could spend some time alone, and ended up tasting a bit of the false chu-chu jelly. It was sweeter than he had thought, and gone down his throat with ease. By the late evening when the sun was setting, Link found himself sitting with Roan’s friends, Koll, Zali, and Ezo, behind Koll’s house, all of them lying on the grass while fish cooked beside a fire.

Link wasn’t finished his second jar, and he was a little possessive of them, the taste was exquisite, sweet, and sour like candy. It made the world tip and swirl, his body was warm, and every bit of his grief seeped away into a pleasant feeling that he could hardly describe.

“Fish is finished cooking,” Zali said, a bushy haired man with a thin beard, he leaned forward and plucked the stick from the ground.

Koll had a more lighter shade of color in his hair, while his cheeks were ruddy, and his eyes bright. “Finally, I don’t think I could take it any longer.” He held an empty bottle and placed it down beside him before leaning forward and grasping the stick.

“Link,” Ezo nudged him, he was a bit larger than the other men with bushy brows and a deeper voice, “going to eat?”

“I don’t think I can get up,” Link said, gazing up at the stars that were finally appearing in the darkening sky.

Ezo chuckled. “First time with Roan’s concoction, the man barely knows what to name it.”

“Better than thinking too much,” Link said. “I’d rather float into the sky than remind myself that my captain is dead.”

“The only one doing that is yourself, boy,” Roan said, sitting across from him.

Link laughed to himself while the men ate their food. He didn’t want to do anything else, but drink the false chu-chu jelly, and dream about the sky. Maybe then, Linebeck will return to him, and they can continue their journey. There was a lot of things he wanted to talk about with Linebeck, and now he was gone, and Link was stranded on an island while sipping a drink that made him want to fly.

Link slowly sat up and Koll had cut up a piece of his fish and passed it over to him. He said his thanks while opening the jar, and taking a quick sip from it. The cool taste washed over him, and he managed to enjoy the fish, and push out a few laughs with these strangers. It was good enough for him to be a little bit happy, even though the insides of him was sinking lower and lower.

Link isn’t sure when he fell asleep, maybe when he drank the rest of the false chu-chu jelly. The sun almost blinded him if it weren’t for the leaves of a tree blocking it out of his eyes. Roan was awake, sipping a bit of something that wasn’t the chu-chu jelly, and was nudging Ezo awake. 

“What time is it?” Link asked when he finally sat up, the world was too dizzy, too sick, and too early.

“Almost time for work,” Roan said, getting to his feet. “You look a wreck, Link, you should head back to Mora’s and sleep there for another hour or so, maybe they’ll be able to give you something to do.”

Link nodded and got up from the grass. He stepped over Koll and walked out of the yard, and almost staggered his way along the path, ignoring the glances from a few people as he found himself crawling over a fence, and walking stealthily toward an open window. He had done this the other night, and reached in to steal a rupee that was sitting inside a pot. He was surprised there were more, and pocketed them before moving onto the next street over.

He knew Ashe would be home, he had asked her about the glowing mushrooms, and she said that it was something that most islanders wouldn’t know much about, but since he wasn't part of Iris, she could give him some that could help him sleep. He wasn’t exactly hoping for sleep, something that was close to Roan’s concoction, and all Ashe did was smile at him.

“Give me about twenty-five rupees, and I’ll create something good for you,” she said the other night before he staggered to Koll’s.

He found Ashe outside of her house in the back, she had long brown hair, and a light brown complexion, she held a broom and was brushing off dirt from the path before looking up, she waved him over and he passed her the rupees. 

“Don’t tell anyone I gave you these,” she said, giving him the glowing mushrooms. They were diced and placed inside a pouch.

“Is this the same stuff that Roan has?”

“Not exactly, a bit chewier."

Link gave her a wave and found a spot on the beach. There was a crisp wind coming from the ocean, and the sky was free of clouds. He opened the bag and ate a few of the mushrooms, enjoying the odd taste and the view. He didn’t want to feel the sadness in his chest, that his life had gone down hill when they crashed into the sea, when he lost his captain. 

Link sniffled, wiping a tear from his face and eating another mushroom.


	3. Memories In The Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is still grieving Linebeck's 'death,' and he decides via Calla, that he should help out the islander's.

He had been surrounded by trees and sunlight for most of the day. Linebeck took a sniff of the air around him, the sweetness of the fruit within, the grass, and warmth, and something more in the far distance.

“Maybe half a day out,” Linebeck said as he strode through the trees. He knew there would be a village on this island. He checked the surrounding islands before they had crashed landed in the sea. He wanted to make sure that if they ever lost their ship, the debris would be able to pull them toward the island. Of course, Linebeck had hoped and mostly that they would survive.

“I’m sure you’re alive somewhere out there,” Linebeck said about his trusty first mate. He didn’t particularly like being away from the sea...well, without his ship that was now in shambles, and the other was Link. He had been screaming at Linebeck during the storm about one of the wings, but he hadn’t listened to him.

He was being foolish during that dire time, and looked at what transpired because of it. They’d have to figure a way to get a new ship, and to get off the island itself. He was sure Link hated standing on solid ground like this as much as he did.

Linebeck cut down several large leaves that were in his way, wiped off the sweat from his brow, and found himself in front of a strange stone structure. “What is this place?” he asked himself as his feet hit old crumbling stone as he walked past the archways toward an old building. The stairs were also crumbling, several markings on the side were obscured by time, and the front door had been left open.

He stared in fascination, heart racing inside his chest, mind of the sea and of Link had been wiped away. “This will only take a second,” he said, as he entered the building.

* * *

The day had almost passed Link by while he sat by the beach. He had eaten all the strange mushrooms he had been given by Ashe, and was now creating sandcastles out of the sand. He even made himself and Linebeck standing on top of the odd structure.

Throughout his time alone, he had been humming the same song that Linebeck sometimes sang, mostly when he was drunk. He would teach new crewmen the song, and get them to laugh and dance, and feel the freedom of being who they were. Privateers, or in other less elegant terms, pirates.

Link wasn’t sure if Linebeck knew the difference, but it didn’t matter. It was only him and Linebeck, the ship was their home, their safety to the world that always tried to propel them from one place to another. Many times over, it even tried to separate them when Linebeck would try to swindle someone, or he would simply cheat at a game of cards and half of the crooks in town would hunt after him. Link was always trying to save him from a death he probably deserved.

There was even one time that Link had to help Linebeck escape from jail. The man had been risky, and gotten himself caught by falling into the most obvious trap. He was hauled away in chains, and his sentence was an early morning hanging.

Link had hesitated, which he would not ever reveal to Linebeck, but managed to find him and sneak into the jail so he could save him. Linebeck had been hungover, his temper short, and his patience a lot thinner. It had almost forced Link to give the man up, but by the time the authorities had come for Linebeck. They were already sprinting back to their ship, Linebeck tearing off the fine and cutting the ropes, while Link spun the wheel, and then they were in the sky.

Things would’ve been easier if he had just given the man up. Except Link had been attached to him the second Linebeck offered the job. Their friendship, or whatever he may call it, seemed more important than anything he had ever felt before. And now the man was dead, and he was making sandcastles on an island that he can’t escape from.

Link frowned at Linebeck’s sandy form, and let out a deep, melancholy sigh.

“There you are.” He looked up to see Calla walking towards him in a blue dress. Her brown hair was now in one single braid that was trailing down her left shoulder. She was smiling at him, then her gaze fell upon his sandcastle, and her expression changed. “Are you okay? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Link nodded, kicking the sandcastle that had Linebeck over. “I’m fine.” He stood up, and stumbled to the side. She reached over and grasped his arm, making sure he kept himself steady.

“Are you sure? You’ve been missing for sometime and my father was hoping you were okay.”

Link looked out to the sea. “I’m enjoying the view.”

Calla looked as well. “I’m sure sooner or later you’ll be able to leave...to find your own—”

“I don’t think I’ll be going back to my old life,” he said, pulling his arm out of her grasp. “My life was on the sea, and it no longer is.”

“You mean…” she said, brows furrowed as he met her gaze, “your Captain was the reason you stayed for as long as you did, not because of the sea.”

She was right. He knew she was, and it was easy to see it, to know it. She was a stranger; and she would not fall for the lies he was spewing to himself.

“Once a passing ship,” Link said, finding the words difficult to gather, “I’ll be heading out.”

“With no rupees to pay for that?” she asked with an arched brow. “I’m sure if you do some odd jobs around here, you’ll be able to gather enough rupees.”

Right. He can’t swindle his way onto a ship without rupees. He can’t lie like Linebeck does. “Okay.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Do you have anything I can do?”

Calla’s green eyes brightened, and she took a curious step closer. “How about you try to smile more often before you go asking for jobs, I’m sure people will appreciate it.”

“I am smiling.”

She shook her head and sighed. “You may not see it, Link, but I’m sure sooner or later, you won’t have to force it as you are now.”

He lost Linebeck. There was no point to smiling, to any of the happiness she hoped he would convey to her or the other islanders. He followed her back to the village where he started asking around for simple jobs to get him some rupees. Calla stayed with him, and had nudged him a few times, reminding him to genuinely smile, to stop avoiding their eyes, and to not sound as heartbroken as he did.

He couldn’t, but he tried.

By the late evening, Link had helped three people with their errands. He cleaned their walkways, gathered food for them, cut the grass in their yard. He even helped Roan a few times in his shop while he was away for fifteen minutes. The day slowly slipped away until he was drinking juice outside with Calla.

“You did good today,” she said to him.

Link nodded, he was swore, but working helped him ignore the pain in his chest. The evening breeze was warm, the sky was a sweet orange and pink, a blue in the far distance. He could almost fall asleep on the grass, to feel the peace he strives to have since he found himself on the island.

At least until the rumbling started, and whatever peace he wanted was interrupted by the shouts of the islanders. Calla grasped his arm and helped him to his feet.

“What’s going on?” she asked, trying to keep steady as the rumbling continued.

“Go back to your father,” he told her, “make sure he’s okay.”

She nodded and sprinted down the path while Link headed toward the other islanders, hoping they were okay as well. Roan and Koll were standing outside the shop, talking amongst each other as the rest of the islander’s were panicking.

“What’s going on?” Link asked them.

Roan regarded him with a nod and said, “It seems the Vieri have been tampered with…” He was shaking his head while Koll wore a disapproving expression. 

“A what?”

“Violent spirits,” Koll told him. “They’re not meant to be awakened, so most of the islanders don’t go near their temple where they were sealed by an old shaman.”

Roan shrugged, “He died a long time ago, so there’s no way to silence them.”

Link wasn’t sure how they were nonchalant about their island’s violent spirit’s being awakened, but there was one thing that bothered Link the most. None of the islander’s would awaken those spirits, and it only meant that someone who didn’t belong to the island would walk themselves inside, not to seek them out, but something more shinier.

“He’s alive?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my lack of updates on this fic. :/


	4. Shadows

Link almost rushed toward the border of the village, his heart pounding inside his chest, mind reeling, then he was yanked back and his thoughts came to a stop as he was spun around. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Link yelled at Roan who had been panting to keep up. He was a thin man, taller than Link, but wasn’t as active. However, Roan was also glaring at Link, fingers tightening on his arm.

“What the hell are _ you _doing?” Roan asked while Link forced his hand off of him. “You can’t just go into the forest and think that you’ll survive, not without the right equipment!”

“My friend—”

“Could be dead right about now since he awakened the Vieri from a several decades long slumber,” Roan said, running his fingers through his hair, obviously stressed. “Look, you can’t just run into the forest...you have no sword, no armor, and not to be too harsh, Link, but you have no idea what the Vieri can do.”

“Do you?” Link asked.

Roan opened his mouth, but Koll interrupted. “Mora told the others to head back toward the center of the village. We’re not meant to go near the forest.”

Link turned away at the same time that Roan said, “Link, please, don’t do this.”

“I’m not part of the village,” Link said, glancing over his shoulder at Roan. “I have to go in there, I have to make sure that he’s alive.” And he’s afraid that out of anything, this might even be a fluke. He didn’t know many of the islanders all that much, and it could be some foolish children playing with things they shouldn’t be touching. Except he needed to hope that it was Linebeck, and somehow he had survived the crash like Link did.

Link let out a joyful laugh. Of course, Linebeck survived, of course he was okay. If Link survived, then Linebeck survived, and vice versa. How could he have denied that or thought in some way that Linebeck had perished in the sea? His beautiful sea that he said many times over that he loved more than his own mother, whoever that was. And that he wouldn’t mind dying in its depths if it ever came to it. But this was different because Linebeck was attracted to treasure, to the shiny things, and also to danger.

Link smiled, the smile that Calla had wanted from him. The genuine smile that was as warm and bright and full of hope. That had made Linebeck’s anger diminish whenever Link would smile at him, and joke around, that would bring down the tension soaking the ship.

This was it, he had to find his Captain. 

As he drew deeper into the forest, there was a cold chill once the light of the sun vanished under the treetops, and the gust of wind sent him shivering in his coat. He couldn’t stop now. Not until he knows Linebeck is alright, and possibly throttle him for waking up a cluster of spirits. Of course his Captain would resort to stealing ancient treasure, yet do something a lot worse in his attempt.

Link pushed himself to run faster, but he hadn’t thought about the roots and old stone that were upturned from the island shifting over the years. And he tripped, tumbling to the hard ground, his grunt of pain was cut off as he rolled and landed hard on his side. He trembled, arm and leg burning, his side throbbed.

“Shit,” he murmured under his breath. His ears were ringing, but as they slowed, he heard his own panting breath while he pushed himself into a sitting position. He checked his arm and the fabric wasn’t as torn as he had thought. He slowly rose to his feet, and while he did this, he felt as if there was someone watching him from the shadows. His instincts told him to be careful and aware of everything around him now that it was dark. He even though of what Roan had said, and quietly berated himself for not bothering to take a weapon within him into the forest. He had been too excited and ambitious to find Linebeck again.

Link looked around, eyeing the shadows, making sure if something were to jump out at him, he’d have a good position to either fight or run.

“Everything is okay…” Link murmured, and recalled Linebeck telling him this when they were cornered in an alley in one village, and a few of the card players who were pissed at Linebeck followed them with weapons. It took a bit of time to get them both over the fence, and Link almost thought Linebeck was going to abandon him until he reached down and grasped his awaiting hand.

If only they could go back to spending their days under the sun, and not running through the forest in fear that Link could die, or that he would never be able to find Linebeck’s body. That maybe he was wishful thinking and at the end of the day, Linebeck had truly perished out in the sea.

“I’ll find you,” Link said, before taking off into the forest once more. Past multiple trees, jumping over upturned roots and stone. He heard it several paces behind him. Growls and the thumps of something large chasing after him with hunger between its teeth. Link was too afraid to look back. It was getting closer, and he felt more were near, his ear twitched at the sounds as he counted. Five. There were five of these creatures on his heel, and he wasn’t sure if they were going to stop until he does, until he’s forced too. His chest was already burning, a pain squeezing him as he panted.

_ Where are you? _

Then a large dark form appeared before him, skidding along the forest floor, ripping out pieces of grass and roots as growled at him. The fur was thick and dark and there was a strange shadowy mist coming off of the creature.

Link tried catching his breath as he stared and was completely unsure of what it was. He didn’t know much about animals besides a few birds and some fish. And he wasn’t warned of these creatures by Calla, Mora, or Roan. Then again, they probably didn’t think he’d run head first into the forest without a weapon. 

Great. He was going to die because of his stupidity.

The other creatures behind him stayed back, but blocked his exit. The one in front of him was probably their leader. The strongest of the pack.

Link gritted his teeth. What was he going to do? He had never gone against something like this before, and usually when he was with Linebeck, they were mostly the type of people to simply run when things got too difficult.

The creature sprinted towards him, and Link quickly moved to the right side. Rolling and wincing at the sharp pain in his side from earlier. Then he pushed himself toward the other side to the trees. He spotted the bright red eyes within, and backed up. He looked right on time as the large creature attacked him with its claws, and as Link got out of the way, he stared at the claws making deep grooves into the dirt.

He had to make sure that didn’t happen to him.

“Come on, I just want to find my Captain!”

He was going to die to this strange shadowy beast as it stalked closer to him. Then a bright reddish light appeared before him, slamming into the ground and going out, followed by more fire as it hit one of the trees and it began to climb upon the bark and along the branches.

Link watched as the fire spread, and the shadow moved back within the depths of the forest while someone jumped out and landed before Link.

He stared, elation overwhelming his fear. “Captain?”

He turned and grinned down at Link, “What do you think you’re doing, we have to get out of here!” He reached down and grasped Link's hand, yanking him to his feet, but without letting go, he dragged Link through the forest, pulling out something from within his ragged blue coat, and Link watched as fire appeared before them and lit their way forward.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, indicating the strange rock in Linebeck’s hand.

“Oh, this place somewhere back there,” he waved his free hand. “Terrible, Link, never go there.”

“Never go there…” Link glared. “_You_ shouldn’t have gone there, and now you awakened the Vieri!”

“The what?”

“Evil spirits.”

“Come on, Link, I heard every tale in the seas, you don’t need to lie about some island superstition!”

“I’m not,” Link said.

Linebeck laughed, but it was a sound that made the fear and anger ease in Link’s chest. He finally found his Captain, now they had to survive whatever Linebeck had awakened.


	5. Into The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is determined to fix Linebeck's mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Also, I changed the tags a bit. :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciated.

“Ah, my foolish right hand, you couldn’t handle my imminent fate, I am flattered, but also saddened that you drank until you became more reckless than that time you killed an Octorok.”

Link sighed deeply at Linebeck. They made it back to the village in one piece. It didn’t take much persuasion for Mora to allow them inside the house, but he wasn’t stupid to the odd and angry expressions upon a few of the villagers faces when they came face-to-face with an oblivious Linebeck.

He was about the same height as Roan, and was sitting on the bed Mora had given to Link when they first found him. The door was left open, and Link sat with Linebeck as the man grasped for a bottle of alcohol from Lok’s hand on their way to the room a few minutes ago.

He had popped the cap and had taken a swig, then let out a relieved sigh. He had the familiar scent of the sea, including sweat, and something burning. That was another thing that Link was curious about. The item that Linebeck had stolen from the temple he wandered in a few hours ago.

“How long were you in there?” Link asked.

“I didn’t stay too long,” said Linebeck, leaning against Link. “A few traps almost killed me. I wonder what would’ve happened if you’d find my body, would you cry?”

“And where did you get the item?” Link asked, returning to the curious subject at hand. He wouldn’t know what to do if he found his Captain dead inside the temple. Maybe he would rebuild the ship somehow, sail away from this island and return somewhere else more memorable.

“Inside the ruins, I told you this.” He was leaning the rest of his weight against Link as he took another long swig. He was almost finished the bottle, and the stench of alcohol was now sticking to him with the other odd smells.

Link bit his lip. The storm was still ongoing, and the screams outside came from the spirits that Linebeck had awakened. “You’re going to have to take it back.” He nudged his Captain, and when he didn’t get a proper response besides an obvious snore, he realized too late that his Captain had fallen asleep.

“Shit…” he said under his breath. How long would this storm last for? If anything, Link could take the stone back. Once he returns it, they can find a way off the island and continue their meaningless journey upon the sea. That’s what he really wants to do, not get stared at by people who were obviously blaming his Captain.

He’ll have to make this right.

Link reached for the bottle and pulled it out of Linebeck’s loose fingers. He set it down on the bedside table. Then he looked into Linebeck’s coat pockets. He gritted his teeth, then went still as his heart raced with a strange warmth rising in his cheeks. Linebeck’s weight against him was incredibly welcomed. He thought he was dead, sinking into the sea like he always wished, but he was here, against Link, and maybe he wanted to enjoy his presence a bit longer before he had to leave him.

“I’m sorry…” Link whispered, as he helped Linebeck lie down on the bed, and he stayed beside him, fingers wrapped around the stone. “Once I return this to the temple, we can leave. We can find a new ship, and spend our days somewhere else. Maybe find a new crew.” It almost seemed like wishful thinking, but Link wanted to go back to what they were doing before all of this.

He closed his eyes, listening to both the wind howling against the window and Linebeck’s breathing.

“Don’t go…” Linebeck murmured.

Link smiled. “Still a sleep talker, aren’t you, Captain?” he said softly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back by morning, then we’ll drink our fill.”

When he was about to move, Linebeck had a grasp on his coat. Link reached down to pull his fingers off, but he kept his hand upon Linebeck’s. They were warm, a few scars here and there from many fights in the past. Sometimes during stupid drunken games that had him getting stabbed for a few coin that barely paid for their drinks.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Linebeck groaned. “Don’t leave…”

Link caressed his Captain’s hand until Linebeck calmed, and he started to snore again. Once that happened, Link carefully maneuvered off the bed and stepped out of the room. He closed the door as quietly as he could, and when he turned, he was startled by the sight of Calla who was in the hall.

“Your Captain is not what I was expecting,” she said. There was a change in her demeanor since they arrived. Sure, she was worried about him, but one look at Linebeck had her reeling back. Like all the others, she also blamed him for the storm, and the wrath of the spirits that came from the temple.

“He gets that a lot,” Link said with a sigh. “If it makes you feel better...I’m going to return the stone to the temple.” He showed her the item in his hand, and she stared hard at it, then stepped away with her hands over her mouth. The fear was quite potent on her face which had him tucking it into his coat pocket.

“Why?” she asked.

“I don’t want any of you blaming him while I’m gone,” said Link. “Then once I return, we’ll be leaving.”

“How? There aren’t any boats around here, no ship to take you—”

“We’re resourceful, Calla, we’ll find a way.” He was about to step past her until she grabbed his arm.

“Please, Link, it’s dangerous out there, you can’t just...expect to make it through the storm, including the spirits without getting yourself killed.” Her voice trembled, but when he pulled his arm free from her hand, she hadn’t been holding him back. Maybe she had hoped this would happen. That one of them would make things right.

He would, for Linebeck.

“What do I tell him when he wakes up?” she asked.

“I’ll be back before he does,” Link said, then he continued down the hallway. He passed several villagers, including Mora, then another stopped him and when he turned, Roan was passing him a sword inside a leather sheath, the belt that held it from the looks of it was once worn, but not enough to break just yet.

“Be careful.”

Link nodded, taking the sword, he wrapped the belt around his waist and secured it. And without a backwards look, Link stepped out of the house and into the storm.

The rain was hard as it pelted the ground, and Link placed an arm in front of his face to keep it from hitting him. The storm sent a ripple amongst the trees, pulling away the rooftops of a few homes, including any ornaments that had been outside.

He shivered as he pushed himself to walk toward the forest. The clouds above him were dark and heavy, flashes of lightning cut through the sky. It was all so familiar from days when they either flew into storms, or were sent tumbling along the ship upon the sea. He had survived many storms in different variations throughout his time working with Linebeck.

However, on the ground, barely slipping upon the grass, was more difficult than he would’ve thought. He tried his best to keep going as he noticed several strange creatures flying through the air. They were howling, their eyes were black and their mouths were wide, and he could see their claws were long then their own hands.

He took out the blade Roan had given to him, and slashed at a few of the creatures. He wasn’t exactly sure if the blade would help, he hadn’t been able to inspect it properly before heading out into the storm.

It seemed it held up good enough as a few of the Vieri spirits were sent flying into the sky. More lightning slashed the sky, the rumbling of thunder was heavy and loud, while the rain soaked him through his coat and into his boots.

Link walked into the forest, finding small shelters from the trees that were flailing alongside the strong winds. It was much darker than it had been earlier, and he wasn’t sure where the creatures he had seen when he was rescued by Linebeck.

The stone inside his pocket was warm, but with all the rain, would it work against these creatures? He wasn’t so sure about that.

Link groaned as he grasped for a tree and leaned against it. His cheeks were numb and his teeth chattered. He didn’t wear gloves, so even his fingers were bitten from the cold. He put the sword back into the sheath and found a safe place under a large tree, the roots were upturned, and he was able to hide beneath it for shelter.

Would this storm soothe itself in an hour or so? Or would he have to wait until morning? No. He couldn’t, he had to get to the temple and return the stone. That was his goal.

He stayed where he was for another ten minutes, then he pushed himself back to his feet and ventured into the storm torn forest as he headed toward the temple.


End file.
